The Plymouth Brethren Christian Church,which was once known as the Exclusive Brethren,has been the subject of intense scrutiny and controversy over the past two decades because of itsalleged treatment of former members,and also accusations that some of its members have been involved in campaigns against political parties,even though its members are not allowed to vote.

Theygrew close to former prime minister John Howard,andvisited him in his office before the 2007 election,while Mr Rudd criticised the group as an “extremist cult” that “breaks up families”. Some church members who have left the group have also referred to it as a cult.

Members of the churchhave donated to the Liberal Party,and some members became involved in anti-Green andanti-gay advertising. When Helen Clark was New Zealand’s prime minister,she said members of the groupran a smear campaign against her.

On its website,the church states it has never made political donations nor instructed any of its 15,000 Australian members to be politically active. The church has about 50,000 members worldwide.

However,NSW Liberal Party records seized by the Independent Commission Against Corruption show that in December 2010,dozens of PBCC members donated individual payments of less than the disclosure threshold,which together made up $67,000. The Liberal Party operatives who accepted the donations labelled the sheet recording the payments as having come from “friends”.

OneSchool was one of 700 private schools that were eligible for the federal government’s $89 billion JobKeeper program,which has been controversial. On Monday,the federal Treasury disclosed that $27 billion of JobKeeper payments were to recipients that didn’t experience the requisite 30 per cent decline in turnover.

But in that calculation,the Treasury excluded not-for-profits,new businesses or those too small to submit a quarterly activity statement to the tax office,and subsidiaries of larger businesses. This means the actual payment to businesses that didn’t meet the requirements to be eligible for JobKeeper could have been as much as $40 billion.

According to Australian Tax Office data,700 private schools received $750 million in JobKeeper payments. Among the many non-government schools that received stimulus payments,including JobKeeper,were Melbourne’s Wesley College which received $18.2 million,and Sydney’s Moriah College,which qualified for $6.8 million.

When students graduate from OneSchool Global,they can enrol at university but only through distance education because they are not permitted to attend campuses in person. Many complete certificate-level courses in office studies and accountancy at school,then typically go to work in businesses run by members of the church.

Businesses run by its members operate in sectors as varied as building,manufacturing and aged care,and according to the church’s website,generate a combined turnover of $22 billion. The church is also linked to a charity,the Rapid Relief Team,which has provided assistance in regional areas in recent years to drought-affected farmers and families affected by bushfires.

Former Greens leader Bob Brown has accused the Plymouth Brethren Christian Church of having a contrived and cruel religious dogma.

The church came to greater public attention during Mr Howard’s prime ministership,after its members spent$370,000 on anti-Greens campaignsat the 2004 election. They also met with then Greens leader Bob Brown after he unsuccessfully called for an inquiry into the group.

In his bookOptimism,Mr Brown dedicated a chapter to the PBCC,a group which he wrote had a contrived and cruel religious dogma. He quoted Mr Hales as telling his members:“You come in touch with worldly people,you’ll have some sense of defilement … and you’re in control,you’re superior,I mean morally.”

Mr Brown also wrote of how Mr Hales advised church members to scorn,disdain and hate the principles of the outside world.

In that chapter Mr Brown also told of how he had met several former members who reported harrowing stories of excommunication from the church,including from their spouses,children,siblings,parents and grandparents.

The church has said it follows up on members who decide to leave the congregation.

The Morning Edition newsletter is our guide to the day’s most important and interesting stories,analysis and insights.Sign up here.